SThe Wii U is out in North America, but Japan will have to wait until December to get the new Nintendo console. To build hype, Nintendo is now running commercials for the hardware. But that's not the only game in town. There are entire channels filled to the brim with wonderful Japanese commercials. Some of them are selling snacks. Others, detergent or video games. Let's have a look.


YouTube user JPCMHD has been doing the truly heroic act of collecting and uploading all the Japanese commercials, week by week. This is heroic because in five, ten, or fifteen years, this will be a goldmine for us to look back and reflect on Japan as it was in 2012—unless YouTube deletes these clips!

You might notice that many of the same people appear in different spots for different companies. This is because these individuals are hot at the moment in Japan, as commercial endorsements are not looked down upon. They're a sign of popularity. Next year, some of these celebrities won't appear in any commercials at all as fame can often be fleeting in Japan.

In the above gallery are commercials that span several months over the course of this year. Many of them are creative, funny, and quite interesting. Good stuff.

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